The system allows supermarkets, club stores, convenience stores, drug stores and other specialty retailers to make, bag and merchandise store-branded ice all in one machine, creating a "custom ice plant" and a new profit center.
The ISB Ice Bagging System consists of a stacked KOLD-DRAFT ice maker, an ISB automatic bagger and a merchandiser. KOLD-DRAFT will become the exclusive [image-nocss] manufacturer of ISB automatic bagging equipment.
Recently under new management, KOLD-DRAFT is an Erie Management Group (EMG) company. EMG was founded with the mission of encouraging new growth from entrepreneurs nationwide and, specifically, bringing jobs back to Erie.
"This new business partnership is a perfect example of EMG fulfilling its mission and of a process gone right, bringing more jobs, more potential and more growth to Erie," said Leonard (Len) Kosar, president and CEO of EMG.
The partnership with ISB is creating a variety of new jobs at the KOLD-DRAFT plant in Erie, including manufacturing, production planning, engineering, quality control and purchasing.
"You've heard the saying, 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.' This new in-store ice-bagging system was an idea just looking for an innovator," said Marty Gardner, president and COO of KOLD-DRAFT. "Our two companies can take this idea further than either one of us would have been able to alone."
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.